Geranium plant named ‘Sylvia&#39;s Surprise’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Geranium  plant named ‘Sylvia&#39;s Surprise’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely and continuous flowering habit; pink-colored flowers; long flowering period; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Geranium wallichianum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SYLVIA'S SURPRISE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant, botanically known as Geranium wallichianum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sylvia's Surprise’.

The new Geranium plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Geranium wallichianum ‘Buxton's Variety’, not patented. The new Geranium was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘Buxton's Variety’ in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Wrexham, United Kingdom in August, 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Geranium plant by tissue culture in a controlled environment in Bressingham, United Kingdom since August, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Geranium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Geranium have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sylvia's Surprise’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sylvia's Surprise’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely and continuous flowering habit.     -   4. Pink-colored flowers.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Geranium differ primarily from plants of the parent, ‘Buxton's Variety’, in flower color as plants of ‘Buxton's Variety’ have light blue-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Geranium are more freely flowering than plants of ‘Buxton's Variety’.

Plants of the new Geranium can be compared to plants of Geranium ‘Rozanne’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,175. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Bressingham, United Kingdom, plants of the new Geranium differed primarily from plants of ‘Rozanne’ in flower color as plants of ‘Rozanne’ had violet blue-colored flowers with white-colored centers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Geranium, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Geranium.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sylvia's Surprise’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Bressingham, United Kingdom in an outdoor nursery. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from −1° C. to 28° C. and night temperatures ranged from −5° C. to 15° C. Plants had been growing for 18 months when the photograph and the description were taken. In the detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Geranium wallichianum ‘Sylvia's Surprise’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Geranium     wallichianum ‘Buxton's Variety’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 15 days at 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 45 days at 25°             C.         -   Root description.—Medium to thick in thickness, fleshy;             yellowish white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Hardy herbaceous perennial; upright             and outwardly spreading plant habit; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 50 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 100 cm. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 7 cm.         -   Width.—About 5 cm.         -   Shape.—Deeply dissected.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Sagittate.         -   Margin.—Palmately cleft; lobes biserrate.         -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 146B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146C. Fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A. Fully             developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 145A; during the late summer, color is             flushed with close to 46B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—Single campanulate rotate flowers arranged             in axillary dichasial cymes; freely flowering habit.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering season.—In Bressingham, United Kingdom, flowering             is continuous from mid-June until first frost; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4 cm.         -   Flower height.—About 2 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Five in a single whorl. Length:             About 2 cm. Width: About 2.3 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex:             Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper surface: Close to 68C slightly flushed             with close to 91C; center, close to 155D; venation, close to             70B. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to             68D slightly flushed with close to 91D.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Color, upper             surface: Close to 138B. Color, lower surface: Close to 138C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 cm to 8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Color: Close to 145A; during the late summer, color is             flushed with close to 46B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             About ten. Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther color: Close to 79A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: Close to 196D. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower:             One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Pistil color: Close to 79A.             Stigma color: Close to 79B. Style color: Close to 79B. Ovary             color: Close to 145C.         -   Seed/fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Geranium have not been     observed to resistant to pathogens and pests common to Geraniums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Geranium have exhibited good     garden performance and to tolerate rain and wind and have been     observed to be suitable for USDA Zones 5 to 8 and AHS Heat Zones 2     to 12. 

1. A new and distinct Geranium plant named ‘Sylvia's Surprise’ as illustrated and described. 